---
title: 'LAW REVIEWS: Yale Law Journal Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright'
description: 'The latest edition of the Yale Law Journal features essays commemorating the 50th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, the landmark 1963 U.S. Supreme…'
canonical: 'https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/law-reviews-yale-law-journal-commemorates-50th-anniversary-of-gideon-v-wainwright'
section: news
date: '2013-07-09T17:47:49-04:00'
updated: '2025-03-14T14:35:32-04:00'
source: 'Death Penalty Information Center'
---

! The latest edition of the *Yale Law Journal* features essays commemorating the 50th anniversary of [***Gideon v. Wainwright***](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/multimedia-new-documentary-explores-landmark-right-to-counsel-case), the landmark 1963 **U.S. Supreme Court** decision guaranteeing all criminal defendants a right to an attorney. The collection of essays from leading legal experts includes an article by Stephen Bright and Sia Sanneh, titled “Fifty Years of Defiance and Resistance After *Gideon v. Wainwright*,” arguing that the criminal system is not truly adversarial because prosecutors possess broad power and resources, while defense systems are often poorly funded. Other essays by death penalty scholars include pieces by John Blume, Sheri Lynn Johnson, and Carol Steiker. Other authors explore the impact of race and poverty on representation, and the application of *Gideon* to military tribunals.

(Symposium Issue, 122 [Yale Law Journal](https://www.yalelawjournal.org/the-yale-law-journal/volume-122,-issue-8,-june-2013/) 2106 (June 2013); DPIC posted, July 9, 2013;). See **[U.S. Supreme Court](/news-us-supreme-court?did=248&scid=38)** and **[Law Reviews](/law-review-journal-articles-death-penalty?did=131&scid=21)**.